Graduate Committee Memo

1. The normal Fall semester course schedule for a first year graduate student is:
   1. Physics 500 – Section 01, Teaching Seminar, 1 credit, required for all new grads
   2. Physics 500 – Section 15, Intro to Research Seminar, 1 credit, required for all new grads
   
   Note: Students from the U.S. who are not yet Montana residents must not register formally for either of these seminars, to avoid exceeding the 6-credit limit imposed by the University’s residency policy.
   
   3. Physics 501 – Advanced Classical Mechanics, 3 credits
   4. Physics 566 – Analytical Methods of Mathematical Physics, 3 credits
Total 8 credits
2. The role of the Graduate Committee is to determine:
   1. Whether you are ready to begin each of these courses
   2. Whether you should skip either 501 or 566
   3. Whether you should take any undergraduate courses as preparation for graduate-level courses
   Students with an M.S. degree are expected to choose advanced courses.
3. You may choose an appointment on August 21st from the list of times available to meet with your graduate advisor and discuss your course schedule. See Margaret in the front office to set up your appointment.
   Your advisor will ask for the following information and would appreciate receiving it in written form:
   1. Texts used in prerequisite courses
   2. Nature and extent of previous courses on these topics
   3. Your ideas regarding your preparation
   Please make a written outline of that information which you can leave with your advisor.
4. A member of the Graduate Committee (Carlsten, Cornish, Qiu, Vorontsov, Link) will be assigned as your "Interim Advisor" for Fall Semester. By the beginning of Spring Semester you should have chosen your "research advisor" or "major professor", (this can be changed later if necessary.) Physics 500-15, offered Fall Semester, will introduce you to the faculty and their research programs. You should arrange personal interviews during Fall Semester with faculty members whose research activities interest you. The Advisor who agrees to accept you will then help you form a Thesis Committee. The Division of Graduate Education expects you to have a “Graduate Program” by Spring Semester also; that is a proposed sequence of courses meeting the degree requirements. The committee program forms are to be completed early in Spring Semester.
5. Please be sure to review the Division of Graduate Education web site entitled “Master’s Requirements” and “Doctoral Requirements”. It is your responsibility to meet the requirements listed there.
6. Forms for “Graduate Programs” may be obtained in the office – see Margaret. Graduate Bulletins may be obtained from the Division of Graduate Education in Room 108 Montana Hall, or can be viewed at http://www.montana.edu/wwwdg/.
7. Please read the Physics Department brochure, “Graduate Manual” (this document), which you will find in your mailbox here upon your arrival.
8. Note that the Division of Graduate Education expects you to maintain a “B” average. A “C” grade in a graduate course is a serious matter (many consider it the equivalent of an “F”).
9. Please give your local address and phone number to Margaret J. as soon as you know it. She can show you your departmental mailbox and your desk assignment.
10. In order to obtain a key to our building, please check your mailbox in the Department for the necessary paperwork and directions.

Return to regular view	Text-only	Updated: August 19, 2009 9:35